What are the responsibilities and job description for the Extra Help - Laboratory Assistant - Biologic Resources Laboratory position at uic?
Position Summary
The Biologic Resources Laboratory provides training opportunities for students in the veterinary and biomedical research fields. The department provides a 12-week training program for veterinary students. The student employee provides support to technical and veterinary research services, while gaining valuable knowledge in the field. The summer externship program is divided into three rotations, small animal/diagnostic laboratory, large animal/experimental surgery/radiology, and the nonhuman primate colony. Students work closely with various mentors during these rotations.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Assist with management of clinical cases:
- Initial assessment, develop plans for diagnosis and treatment, and monitor until case resolution.
- Observe and perform technical procedures:
- Blood collection, intravascular catheter placement, fecal collection, urine collection (including catheterization and cystocentesis), gastric gavage, endotracheal intubation, identification (tattoo, microchip, ear tag, ear punch), nail trims and ear cleaning, radiographs (thoracic for recently acquired nonhuman primates), tuberculin skin testing (nonhuman primates), etc.
- Assist in preventive medicine programs:
- Physical exams, interpretation of diagnostic tests, and immunization as needed.
- Gain understanding of psychological well-being and environmental enrichment:
- Observe normal behavior, identification of abnormal behavior, including stereotypies, cage, food, and social enrichment strategies and/or training methods.
- Surgical training:
- Observe and assist with surgical cases, master suturing (including interrupted, continuous, and subcuticular closures) and postoperative monitoring.
- Observe and perform daily husbandry activities:
- Small animal – change rodent cages, daily room check
- Large animal – feed animals, clean dog and pig enclosures
- Nonhuman primates – feed animals, clean baboon and macaque rooms
- Mouse breeding colony management:
- Identification of vaginal plugs, breeding schemes and cross-fostering as a method of rederivation.
- Understand species-specific zoonotic diseases on Non-Human Primates:
- Herpes B virus, tuberculosis, retroviruses, and bacterial and protozoal intestinal pathogens.
- Other duties and projects assigned.
- Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.